CalPERS aligns performance pay with new allocation strategy

CalPERS is set to change its benchmarks for measuring performance compensation for senior investment staff so they are consistent with recent changes to its strategic asset allocation.Earlier in the year CalPERS introduced a range of new benchmarks, including composite benchmarks for the new asset classes. The proposed performance plan will align with these benchmark changes.

The restructure of asset classes resulted in assets being classified in five main groupings: growth, income, inflation, real assets and liquidity.

Some of the key performance changes reflect CalPERS’ economic outlook for likely returns in the coming year, with infrastructure performance benchmark changed from CPI plus 5 per cent to CPI.

AIM (private equity) moved to a global public markets-based benchmark to better align with global equity and total fund policy benchmark.

In forestland the benchmark for measuring performance was changed to NCREIF Timberland.

Performance plans will also take into account both quantitative and qualitative measures.

Sponsored Content

Chief investment officer, Joe Dear (pictured), will have 70 per cent of his performance compensation in quantitative measures, calculated on a sliding scale of performance above a series of basis points hurdles for the total fund.

Of his performance remuneration, 20 per cent will depend on qualitative factors such as leadership, succession planning, risk management and teamwork.

The remaining 10 per cent will be decided by performance in enterprise-wide initiatives during the fiscal year.

The board will review the new performance measures at its May 17 meeting.  A second board level review is set for June to further refine certain benchmarks and incentive schedules.

Leave a Comment

Sort content by

CheckRisk rethinks the risk business

Beta-driven equity investors may currently be taking far greater risks than they are getting paid for when seeking broad market exposure, British risk expert Nick Bullman warns. Bullman, the founder of specialist risk consultancy CheckRisk, has developed a methodology using macroeconomic research along with econometric and behavioural risk inputs to identify what he describes as

Conservative Korea

Korean corporate pension funds have grown more conservative in their investments, increasing already high allocations to guaranteed-insurance contracts (GICs) and term savings, the Towers Watson Korea Pension Report shows. The annual snapshot of the Korean pension market found that 93 per cent of corporate pension-plan assets are allocated to principal-guaranteed products, of which nearly 58

Report reveals Norway’s SWF climate risk

Norway’s 3496 billion kroner (US$582.7 billion) sovereign wealth fund could suffer significant losses in a range of climate-change scenarios if it fails to hedge its risk by investing in climate-sensitive assets, the release of a confidential report shows. Norway’s Ministry of Finance recently released an extensive study by asset consultant Mercer on the effects of

Risk modelling
requires review

Advocating the use of financial models a six-year-old could understand and warning that the dogmatic belief in overly complex and unrealistic models contributed to the financial crisis were some of the challenging views put to the attendees of the recent CFA Institute’s annual conference. Throwing down the gauntlet was GMO asset-allocation team member James Montier,

Institutional investors fall behind USA Inc

Institutional investors are clearly behind in risk management compared to the innovative techniques implemented in treasury departments of corporate America, chief investment officer of Wurts and Associates, Jeff Scott says. Scott, who spent his career managing the balance sheet at Microsoft, Dow Chemical, the Alaska Permanent Fund and now investment consultant Wurts, says institutional investors

Pipes over promises

The Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) is shunning European sovereign bonds, with the $152.8-billion fund’s head of investment saying European infrastructure offers far more attractive risk/return opportunities. Mark Wiseman, CPPIB’s executive vice-president of investments, told delegates at last week’s Milken Institute Global Conference 2012 in Los Angeles that the fund had chosen not to

Previous